The present invention relates to wireless networks and more specifically to systems and methods for using time shifted packet analysis to select and implement communication parameters in an access point to optimize the interaction between the access point and client devices while accounting for the effects of adjacent Wi-Fi devices.
Wi-Fi networks are crucial to today's portable modern life. Wi-Fi is the preferred network in the growing Internet-of-Things (IoT). But, the technology behind current Wi-Fi has changed little in the last ten years. For example, the Wi-Fi network and the associated unlicensed spectrum are currently managed in inefficient ways. Such networks generally employ primitive control algorithms that assume the network consists of “self-managed islands,” a concept originally intended for low density and low traffic environments. Further, there is little or no coordination between individual networks and equipment from different manufacturers or the client devices attached to the networks and adjacent networks. Because of this, networks often do not operate at their peak capacity. For example, many Wi-Fi networks operate on crowded channels or otherwise have interference from adjacent devices, but lack the ability to detect congestion and collisions and to correct access point settings to improve network throughput.
These situations are often worse in home networks than in enterprise networks since home networks are generally assembled in completely chaotic ad hoc ways. With more and more connected devices becoming commonplace, the net result is growing congestion and slowed networks with unreliable connections. Similarly, LTE-U networks operating in the same or similar unlicensed bands as 802.11ac/n Wi-Fi suffer similar congestion and unreliable connection issues and will often create congestion and performance problems for existing Wi-Fi networks sharing the same channels.
One way to ameliorate Wi-Fi and LTE-U device congestion has been to open up certain parts of the 5 GHz U-NII-2 band, known as the DFS band, to Wi-Fi use. Devices operating in the DFS band require active radar detection. This function is assigned to a device capable of detecting radar known as a DFS master, which is typically an access point or router. The DFS master actively scans the DFS channels and performs a channel availability check (CAC) and periodic in-service monitoring (ISM) after the channel availability check. The channel availability check lasts 60 seconds as required by the FCC Part 15 Subpart E and ETSI 301 893 standards. The DFS master signals to the other devices in the network (typically client devices) by transmitting a DFS beacon indicating that the channel is clear of radar. Although the access point can detect radar, wireless clients typically cannot. Because of this, wireless clients must first passively scan DFS channels to detect whether a beacon is present on that particular channel. During a passive scan, the client device switches through channels and listens for a beacon transmitted at regular intervals by the access point on an available channel.
Once a beacon is detected, the client is allowed to actively transmit on that channel. If the DFS master detects radar in that channel, the DFS master no longer transmits the beacon, and all client devices upon not sensing the beacon within a prescribed time must vacate the channel immediately and remain off that channel for 30 minutes. For clients associated with the DFS master network, additional information in the beacons (i.e. the channel switch announcement) can trigger a rapid and controlled evacuation of the channel. Normally, a DFS master device is an access point with only one radio and is able to provide DFS master services for just a single channel.
Prior systems and methods have significant down time when providing DFS master services. Further, they do not address network inefficiencies resulting from the lack of coordination and optimization between network access points, client devices, and adjacent Wi-Fi devices. This disclosure recognizes and addresses, in at least certain embodiments, these problems.